Ursula Rucker: A Voice Raised by the City of Brotherly Love

As is the case in most major U.S. cities, gentrification is pushing longtime locals and the working class further and further from city centers. Philadelphia is no exception, but while many are frustrated with the major social and cultural shifts, spoken-word recording artist Ursula Rucker appreciates all that these changes entail—and also what they ignite.

A Philadelphia native, and a proud one at that, Ursula is no stranger to her hometown's faults and flaws. Yet, she has grown to value the city for not only what it has instilled in her, but also what it demands from her, both as an artist and a mother of four boys. “I have traveled all around the world, and because I am from this place, I know how to carry myself," she says. In this video, Rucker speaks about the city’s literal and cultural landscapes, and we meet some of the artists who, alongside Rucker, are key threads in the city’s creative fabric. A band of brothers and sisters living and working and creating together, making the City of Brotherly Love truly something to cherish.

The GOOD Cities Project is a five-month collaboration with Ford, exploring how we make our cities and how our cities make us. As part of the project, GOOD and Ford have commissioned cultural creatives across the country to help illuminate and celebrate the rich and vastly diverse points of view that make up each city's individual character. Each week, we will be exploring attributes that we believe are fundamental to living meaningful urban lives.